Emma Roddick makes a good point. Although the Scottish Government is committed to investing a further £34 million in culture, which will be transformational for the sector, the UK Labour Government is undermining that good work with its plan to increase national insurance contribution costs. That will impact through increased NI contributions for cultural venues, including Eden Court, and it might erode the benefits of the significant culture funding increase.

That is why the First Minister and the president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, supported by 48 public and voluntary sector organisations, wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 3 January to raise concerns about the impact of the increase to employer national insurance contributions and to seek clarity on funding. I hope that we will get a positive response.

The Mackintosh building is owned by the Glasgow School of Art, which has responsibility for its own strategic and operational decision making. The Scottish Government understands that work by external architects is in progress on the Mackintosh building project.

According to the Glasgow School of Art, this work aims to ensure that the delivery of the Mackintosh project continues to be evidence based and that the building is successfully rebuilt as a working school of art to support the regeneration of Sauchiehall Street and Glasgow city centre.

Proposals are expected to be completed and published early this year. The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council will continue to engage closely with the Glasgow School of Art as it progresses its plans for the Mackintosh building.

I share Paul Sweeney’s admiration for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris and the speed with which that was completed. The people of Paris and of France can be very proud of that restoration project.

As I have already outlined, proposals on the Glasgow School of Art are expected to be completed and published early this year, and I would be content to convene a meeting to discuss what emerges from those proposals. I know that Paul Sweeney does not want any further unnecessary delays, and I do not want any either. I support the speediest restoration that is possible.

Missing the opportunities of access to the digital single market is just another example of the damage that has been caused by a Brexit that Scotland did not vote for. The European Parliament estimates that the potential gains of a digital single market could be in the region of €0.5 trillion per year, which would translate into potentially billions of pounds for our economy.

Our digital strategy for Scotland, which was published in 2021, highlights the need for a strong digital economy to help all businesses to become digital businesses, in Scotland’s pursuit of becoming a vibrant, inclusive and outward-looking digital nation.

I commend Rachael Hamilton for standing up for a beacon of progressiveness in the Borders and for drawing attention to the Bernat Klein studio and its architectural, cultural and historical importance. It is absolutely right to note that it is the most celebrated work of Peter Womersley and was the workplace of the world-class textile designer Bernat Klein. I will look very closely at any proposals that are made to protect and preserve the Bernat Klein studio, and I will be happy to do that together with Rachael Hamilton.

I am all in favour of more targeted support. As Foysol Choudhury knows, the Government’s proposals in the forthcoming budget are for the biggest-ever increase in culture and arts sector funding outside the Covid recovery period. I am open to looking at proposals for further and increased support beyond that.

However, to be honest, if members of the Scottish Parliament or Opposition parties wish for additional support for culture and the arts, the first thing that they will have to do is vote for the budget.

I have already met representatives of the Belmont cinema, and I will always be happy to meet them about any particular ask. What would be most disappointing, to be frank, is if MSPs were to abstain or to vote against the biggest-ever support for culture and the arts in Scotland. It is one thing to wish for the outcomes, but another to do so without supporting the means. If Conservative or Labour colleagues want to turn up week in, week out, month after month, saying that they support culture, they should actually vote for it.

As Neil Bibby knows, the Scottish Government budget proposes an increase in support for Screen Scotland, which is Scotland’s national agency that deals with film and television. He will also be aware of the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting the availability of cinema to communities. Screen Machine has played a leading part in all that.

I gently say to colleagues from Opposition parties that there is absolutely zero credibility in turning up to the chamber and saying that one wishes for more to be spent on culture and the arts when—apparently—they are going to abstain when the question comes before the chamber.

The Scottish Government has committed a further £34 million to the culture sector for the next financial year. That will result in the biggest increase in culture funding in the history of the Parliament, after Covid recovery support, and it takes the total uplift to date to £50 million. That is a huge vote of confidence in our culture sector, and it will help to protect this treasured sector and the impact that it makes on people’s lives. I hope that Daniel Johnson will vote for that.

Through the budget, we will provide an increase of £20 million for Creative Scotland’s multiyear funding programme, as well as further increases for the national collections and the national performing companies.

In addition, we will ring fence new funding to support festivals across Scotland; to improve digital access to our public libraries; to restart and extend community-led arts and creativity programmes; and to develop a culture and heritage capacity fund.

We will also carry out a review of how the culture sector is supported, which will include a review of Creative Scotland, to ensure that Government funding achieves the greatest possible impact.